Know-how exchange and training of first stage researchers in Bogotá

Dr. Jinneth Lorena Castro Mayorga, Dr. Rainhard Machatschek, Dr. Natalia Tarazona Lizcano, Dr. Carolina González Almario, Dr. Hugo Rodolfo Jiménez Sabogal - from l.t.r.

Dr. Natalia Tarazona in cooperation with Dr. Carol V. Amaya and Dr. Juan Fernando Saldarriaga organized two laboratory sections, one in UniAndes (0.5 weeks) and one in Agrosavia (1.5 weeks), to promote competence-building in both institutions.
In UniAndes, the working group focused on the preparation of synthetic and biobased plastics microparticles, which were used in Agrosavia to develop a fast and low-cost screening method for the identification of microorganisms with synthetic and biobased polyester degradation capabilities.
The microorganisms were obtained from the Colombian Microbial Germplasm Bank (BGMA) located at the research center Agrosavia-Tibaitata in Bogotá. The working team was comprised of Liz A. Uribe Gutiérrez, Jennifer Lorena García Riaño, and Cindy Nayibe Mejia Maldonado. The team aims to continue optimizing these methods and to use the results for a common publication and a poster to be presented at a national conference.